The Undying Immortal System

Chapter 480 – Life 120, Age 58, Martial Lord Peak

Our sect was falling apart. Each attack from the Nine Rivers Domain widened the fractures within our ranks. In a few more months, they might become impossible to heal.

In truth, I wasn’t entirely displeased by this possibility.

I had always intended to use Suba HaoRong to hone Kan’s leadership abilities. If HaoRong gained enough political influence to truly threaten the sect’s unity, then he would become an even more valuable whetstone. Having our sect fall apart like this wasn’t exactly ideal, but once the dust settled, I would be able to sift through the wreckage, cast aside the factions that had outlived their usefulness, and keep those that proved both their value and their loyalty.

My clan had already undergone several cycles of cleansing and rebirth. One more wasn’t anything to get upset about.

However, this “rebirth” had the potential to cause a great deal of trouble, both on the Central Continent and within my inner world. I had no desire to manage these complications while also fending off the schemes of Emperor Li’s disciple.

I needed to bring our war against the Nine Rivers Domain to a close.

Unfortunately, my offer of a contest of champions was rejected.

At first, this worried me. However, as I stared at the Demon King’s message, a sense of relief slowly settled over me.

Challenge rejected.

What did these words actually mean?

Ever since finding out about Li’s disciple, I had operated under the assumption that this disciple was Jon. I didn’t have any evidence to support this assumption, but Jon was the most dangerous enemy I had ever met. Being prepared to face Jon meant being prepared for anything.

Even though few of our opponents’ tactics fit what I knew of Jon’s personality, I held tight to this mental framework. Assuming our enemy was Jon did no harm, while assuming they weren’t Jon could have led us straight into a trap.

But my challenge had been rejected.

Jon lived off challenges. Objectively, trading his dominant position in this war for an uncertain contest of champions would have been foolish. But would Jon have cared about that? Would he have truly been able to resist the temptation of stepping forward and using this challenge to seize victory with his own two hands?

No. That did not fit the man I knew. My opponent couldn’t be Jon.

But if not Jon, then who was it?

I had a few suspicions, but ultimately, their identity didn’t matter. If it wasn’t Jon, then I didn’t need to worry so much about losing. If I no longer needed to be concerned with Jon copying my blessing, we could admit defeat, fall back to the Heroes Domain, and if necessary, retreat through time. Losing this war no longer posed any real danger. Therefore, there was no reason to keep dragging it out when we could instead return our focus to properly developing our sect.

Still, before taking such a decisive step, I needed certainty. I couldn’t rely entirely on deductions drawn from incomplete information. So, I called for the messenger who had delivered the Demon King’s letter.

“Take this message back to your leaders. I request a direct parlay with the Demon King.” Looking at the man, I couldn’t help but smile. “Tell them that I wish to discuss the terms of our surrender.”

Neither Kan nor YuLong was entirely pleased by my decision to surrender. Even after I explained my reasoning, it was clear that the idea left a bitter taste in their mouths. Still, both were willing to follow my lead, even if it was not the path they would have chosen for themselves.

JiuLi, Meng LuYao, and YuHua were far more sanguine. They weren’t directly involved in the military side of the conflict, so they had far less personal pride riding on whether or not we emerged victorious. More than anything, they simply wanted the war to end so we could return to strengthening the sect.

Those five were the only ones I informed of my plans.

Ordinarily, I would have had either Kan or JiuLi inform the Council of Elders. This time, however, I saw no reason to involve them. Their opinions were no longer required. I would resolve the external problems weighing down our sect. Then, Kan and JiuLi would have all the time they needed to resolve its internal problems.

This was the plan. Whether or not it would actually work, however, was another matter entirely.

Would the Demon King accept my request for parlay? If they refused, could I still afford to consider surrender? No matter how much circumstantial evidence I gathered, I couldn’t be certain that the Demon King wasn’t Jon until I saw them with my own eyes. For all I knew, this entire sequence of events could have been a ruse meant to lure me into submitting to Jon without a fight.

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In the end, all of my fears proved unfounded. After a week of waiting, the Demon King’s messenger returned. My request for parlay had been accepted.

Taking only Kan and YuLong with me—Kan to serve as our sect’s official representative, and YuLong to help protect him if things went sideways—I boarded a carriage provided by the Demon King and set off for our meeting.

When we stepped out of the carriage, we found ourselves at the edge of what looked like the camp of a mildly successful group of mercenaries. A few dozen men and women moved about the area, tending to the cook pots and feeding tamed demon beasts, but no one gave us more than a passing glance. They all seemed completely indifferent to our arrival.

The messenger led us through this camp to a large tent that had been set up on its periphery.

When I saw who was waiting for us inside, I couldn’t help but look over at YuLong and give a silent chuckle.

Next to me, Kan’s eyes widened in shock. “Isn’t that… That’s the Zhuge Clan’s Ancestor, isn’t it?”

I placed a hand on Kan’s shoulder to calm him. There were some things it would not do to say too soon. After all, no one in the tent knew us as anything other than the leaders of the Amorphous Blade Sect. I, however, recognized every face present.

Zhuge Yan sat on a raised dais, eyeing us closely as we entered. Bao and SuYin stood to his left, while LiTing and JiaQi stood to his right. In the far corner, a bulky mound of fur and horns dozed quietly.

At the sight of the enormous Rank Six demon deer, YuLong let out a breath and rubbed his forehead. “You know,” he muttered, “I’m suddenly very happy that none of us advanced to Martial Emperor. Otherwise, we might have quietly disappeared into some forest and never come back out.”

While we took in our surroundings, the messenger approached the dais and gave Yan a deep bow. “I have brought the leaders of the Amorphous Blade Sect, as you requested.”

Yan dismissed him with a wave, then let his gaze pass from Kan to me. “You are here to offer your surrender?”

I cupped my fists and gave him a small nod. “We are here to discuss it, but not with you, General.”

Yan had reached Martial King, and he had ascended to Rank 4 in body cultivation. Impressive, certainly. But this wasn’t enough to justify the title of Demon King. At most, he was a Demon Lord.

Turning away from the dais, I focused on a table at the front of the tent, where an inconspicuous young woman was preparing tea with quiet, practiced movements. Her clothing, posture, and lowered gaze all blended perfectly into the background.

This “maid” was the only person in the room who had reached Rank 5 in body cultivation.

I walked over and cupped my fists to her. “Demon King Pei LiMei, what will it take for you to end this war?”

In a heartbeat, Mei’s entire demeanor shifted. The shrinking, deferential maid vanished, replaced by a Ruler.

“Supreme Elder Su Fang of the Amorphous Blade Sect,” she said, her voice calm and measured, “our demands are simple. Admit your defeat and hand over the memory orbs belonging to my master, Elder Li GuiYang.”

I paused, finding it difficult to believe matters could truly be so straightforward. “Is that all? As long as I admit defeat and hand over the orbs, the war will end? You will allow us to return to the Heroes Domain unharmed? You will end your invasion?”

Mei looked at me, giving me a smile that was not a smile. “Yes. Though, as far as I am aware, your sect has no particular attachment to the Heroes Domain. The territories you conquered in the Nine Rivers Domain are currently in a rather poor condition, and much karmic energy could be gained by restoring them. Perhaps you would like to stay in this domain and take charge of them on a more permanent basis.”

I stared at her, then slowly looked around the rest of the tent.

The sight of so many familiar faces had lulled me into relaxing more than I should have. Were things truly so simple? Wasn’t this a test arranged by Emperor Li and the Earthly Dao? Could I really have ended the war whenever I pleased, with virtually no consequences?

No matter how I looked at it, that didn’t seem believable.

“What do you gain from our surrender?” I asked Mei, studying her more closely. “What was the point of all this?”

“Our two forces stand at the forefront of body cultivation, an area of research that is of utmost importance to every major power on this continent. Our victory means that the Nine Rivers Domain will be allowed to freely recruit you, without needing to worry about interference from the Saint of Heroes. If you had emerged victorious, then the Heroes Domain would have been allowed to recruit us instead.”

I narrowed my eyes.

Mei had done an excellent job concealing her emotions, no doubt aided by both her blessing and Emperor Li’s teachings. Even so, I could feel that she was hiding something. And, from her choice of words, I thought I knew what it might be.

“What do you gain? Not the domain. You. Personally.”

The corner of her mouth twitched upward, and through her composure I sensed the faintest trace of gallows humor. “I’m not entirely sure. The details… aren’t exactly clear. However, the Li Clan has promised me rich rewards if I succeed, especially if I can persuade you to join them. That includes a share of their clan’s blood essence and the opportunity to advance to Martial Sovereign.”

I studied her one last time, then walked over to where YuLong and Kan were waiting for me.

“What do you think?” I asked quietly.

Kan looked around the tent, then released a long sigh. “We came here to surrender, didn’t we? There’s no point backing out now.”

YuLong glanced toward Yan. “He’s up to something. I’m certain of it. But I can’t say what it could be. Still, there’s no point in hesitating. It’s not as though handing over those memory orbs will actually damage us, right?”

I nodded, turned back to Mei, and pulled a small crate of memory orbs from my inner world.

“We admit defeat.”

Mei went completely silent. For several long seconds, she stared blankly into nothingness, as though listening to something far beyond the confines of the tent. Then, a genuine smile spread across her face.

A heartbeat later, that smile froze, and her face twitched in obvious annoyance.

Mei turned her head toward Yan, who remained seated upon the dais. “The mission is complete, but… a new complication has arisen.”

Then, she looked at me. “Supreme Elder Su Fang, let us continue this discussion somewhere more comfortable. Your companions may remain here and speak with my commanders. I give you my word that no harm will come to them.”

I stared at her for a moment, then inclined my head. Without another word, I followed her into a sitting room within a smaller tent attached to the side of the audience hall. I didn’t know what Mei wanted to tell me, but I was certain it would not be good news.